Tracing cultural ties from Darjeeling to Quanzhou

My journey into the cultural intersections between India and China began in the mist-draped cliffs of Wuyishan, a county-level city in Fujian province.

- By SHIKHA PANDEY

At first glance this region seems like a tranquil sanctuary - home to Taoist temples, ancient tea plantations and emerald rivers carving through craggy rock faces. Wuyishan also played an important role in the land Silk Road that extended through Central Asia and the Maritime Silk Road that connected Chinese ports to the Indian Ocean region.

It is here, amid these ancient cliffs, that yancha, China's legendary rock tea, originated. These teas, grown on mineral-rich cliffs and processed using intricate, centuries-old techniques, carry a deeply meditative aroma and flavour.

Yet what surprised me most during my visit was that these very mountains, known for their spiritual and botanical legacy, were also indirectly responsible for shaping one of India's proudest exports: Darjeeling tea.

Today Darjeeling tea is synonymous with Indian identity, its delicate muscatel flavour sought after across the globe. Yet few realise that the tea plants thriving in Darjeeling's Himalayan climate are not indigenous.

They were brought from China in the 19th century — seeds and saplings of the small-leaf Chinese tea plant, or Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, probably sourced from regions such as Wuyishan.

The British smuggled both botanical material and tea-making know-how out of China to fuel India's colonial economy. Thus India's tea culture, especially in Darjeeling, was grafted on the roots of Chinese wisdom and cultivation.